Clearing up Sandy’s confusion

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According to Mike Martino, spokesman for the Nassau County Department of Public Works, any boat that is on a county road will be moved to the side to ensure drivers’ safety. “Disposal is the responsibility of the owner,” Martino said.

I lost everything. Where can I go for help?

The first thing you should do if your house was damaged is file a claim with your insurance company. Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance could be available if your insurance doesn’t cover all of the damage. FEMA disaster assistance can cover temporary housing, repairs, replacement and permanent or semi-permanent housing construction. Money is also available for medical and dental expenses, funeral and burial expenses, clothing, household items, tools and equipment required for your job, fuel, cleanup items, damage to vehicles and more. FEMA also has crisis counseling, Disaster Unemployment Assistance, legal service and special tax considerations.

Before you apply, you need to have some information ready: your Social Security number, a current and pre-disaster address, a telephone number, insurance information, your total annual household income, a routing and account number from your bank (if you want to have disaster assistance funds transferred directly into your bank account) and a description of your losses caused by the disaster.

After you’ve completed the application for assistance, you’ll receive a FEMA application number. Keep it for all future references.

You can apply for FEMA assistance in three ways: logging on to www.disasterassistance.gov, going to m.fema.gov on your smartphone or by calling (800) 621-3362. Those with speech or hearing disabilities can call (800) 462-7585.

There is a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center at Nassau Community College, and another at Island Park Village Hall, open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Specialists from the state, FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration are on hand to answer questions and provide information on the types of assistance that are available.

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